By Shannon Williams
I know I have written about customer service or the lack of before…. But I have had a day with every type of customer service there is, the good the bad and the ugly! I am aware that everyone is trying to cut cost to keep up with the ever-increasing cost in everything, but how did we just stop caring if the customer was happy or not even happy, that they were satisfied with the service or goods that were provided and that you have paid your good money for.

First of all, they do everything they can to keep you from calling, they hide or just do not display any sort of phone number that you could call and talk to a real live person, and to expect to get someone who knows the job they are to be doing, is just a pipe dream. They want you to use their website, or one of those instant chats or to send them an email, they make you go though all kinds of bells and whistles before you might have a chance to talk to a person.

I am a big Amazon shopper, living here it is just easy and as I age, I just don’t like to shop like I use too. DISCLAIMER, that does not include the Nutcracker market or any type of arts and crafts fair or market! That is just as about the most fun I can have these days! If you go shopping in person it means you have to find a parking spot, then try to find the item you want or even worst try and find someone to help you find that item. Then you have to stand in line to checkout or try to use the self-check out, until I get an employee discount, I am not checking myself out. It is bad enough that they expect us to sack our own groceries and take them to our cars ourselves, but checking myself is asking too much. Both of my older brothers worked at the military grocery store, called the commissary or BX sacking groceries. I could not believe all the money they use to come home with LOL. I wanted to get a job when I was old enough, but girls were not allowed and then they just did away with them totally. OK, I drifted off back to shopping in person, the biggest stress for me is after all of the above mentioned items, is finding the darn car while you are pushing a buggy full of items that are often falling out of the cart! So, I thought that Amazon and I were good friends, and I would think that they care about me, that they want my business and would try and keep that business. Ok, I know I am delusional, but I remember a time when a shopkeeper wanted to do what was needed to keep your business, they learned your name, tried to stock items your requested, and when you came in to their business with your child they often would have a treat for them. Those days are truly gone, although, there are some business folks here on Crystal Beach who do treat you that way!

I use a cream that I get from Amazon that helps my old achy body, they have one that is cool and one that is warm. This time of year, I use the warm one on my knees. I ordered two bottles this time, and only got one, but several days later another bottle appeared, but it was the cool one! I kept thinking, just let it go, as you know you will use it when the weather gets warmer, but I finally decided I would try and see if I could get it resolved. I pushed the tab on my order page that is for return or replace and filled out the form with what was wrong with the order. In two days, I get an email back from the shopkeeper, who tells me this is Amazon fault and I should deal with them and gives me a phone number to call. I finally called this am. I was downloading reports and just have to wait on them so thought it would be a good time, what was I thinking! I got one of the AI (Artificial Intelligence) who kept telling me to speak to “them” just like a person as they could understand, well they could not, but I refrained from showing him my impression of General Patton (a term my father used when he would let someone have it LOL). I kept asking for an agent and finally, and I mean finally, got one, not that it did any better. I finally gave up and asked to speak to her supervisor, well that was the wrong thing to ask. I was informed that one would call me back. When I asked to hold until one could speak with me, I was told that was not the way that the way it worked. At this point, I did give up. I would break up with Amazon, but we all know that is not going to happen. I just wish they tried to act like they wanted to provide good customer service. The only thing worse, is when they want you to do a survey; well I just need to accept that they do not really care if I am a happy customer. But never fear, there was a good! That one was the bad and ugly.

I needed to make some final plans for an upcoming trip and was dreading calling to see if I could make some changes and a few requests. I had made a couple of calls and was not getting anywhere, with the options I pushed to get the service I needed, so I started all over and just kept saying agent! I got an agent and he was delightful! He listened, made suggestions and stayed with the call until each and every issue was resolved! I told him he had restored my faith in customer service! It just felt so good to really get customer service from someone I had paid money to for a service. It was something we took for granted for many years and as it disappears and we see it so rarely. The fact that he listened and worked to resolve the issues, was heartwarming and I told him so. So now I have to prepare myself to call my TV service, as my bill has increased, so I have to call and beg them to give me a deal to keep me as a customer and it is a company that I have been with for over 20 years. Well I might need a big candy bar to make that call. So, if you get good service, let them know, who knows maybe something will get started and more business will work to make sure that we are happy, or maybe I will do better at talking to those machines !

[SW: Jan-24-2023]